Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



' M. J. CHAMBERLAIN.

Breech Loading Fire Arm. No. 111,814

Patented Feb; 14, 1871.

NPETERS, PHOTWLITNOBRAPHER, WASHINGTON. n c.

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MARTIN J. GHAMBERLIN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 111,814, dated February 14, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

in which- -Figure 1 is a sideview of a gun made according to my inventiomwiththe lock-plate removed to show the lock, Q

Figure 2 is a side view of the lock-frame, with the plate andthe different parts of the lock removed to better show tire recesses made in the frame to receive the several parts of the lock.

Figure 3 is a reverse side view of the arm, showing the safety-button attached to the upper part of the hammer, and in its different positions,

Figure 4 is an end view of the trigger.

Figure 5 is a side view of the same.

Figure 6 is an inside view of the lock-plate, and

Figure? is avertical transverse section of the lock plate through line N of fig. 6.

My invention relates to the construction of breechloading fire-arms, whereby a cartridge-retractor is made to swing with an accelerated movement by operating it with the lower end of the breech-block, and wherebythe breech-block is unlocked by means of aprojection or elongation upon the lower end of the hammer, which presses down the. rear end of the trigger, when the hammer is thrown back; and whereby the trigger may have a firm bearing within the recess made in the lock-frame, so that, in case the pin 'upon which the trigger usually has its bearing becomes broken, it will still operate in the recess independently of its pin or pivots; and whereby the gun is prevented from being discharged prematurely by means of a safety-button attached to the top of the hammer, all constructed and arranged as will be hereinafter fully explained.

In the drawing A represents the stock of the gun, wherein is made the reccss B, of 'sufiicient depth to receive the breechblock F and the trigger H, and also another more shallow recess, B, to receive the hammerE.

'0 isthe pivot, upon which the breech-block swings;

h is the pivot for the trigger; and

e, another pivot for the hammer; and when these three parts are in place the outside surface of each is nearly flush with the part D, which is made plain, to receive the lock-plate D.

. Upon the outside of the breech-block F is placed the retractor I, in which is made aciroular slot, 0', (lee scribed from the center i, the end of the pivot 0 protruding through the said slot 0', and upon the upper endof the .retractor I is made the piece t, projecting upward, and into-a recess in the rear end of the barre], and quite near to the bore.

Upon the inside of the retraotor is made a projection, say of about one-sixteenth of an inch thick, and

of a form shown by the dotted line It.

The lower side of the breeclnblock is curved, as shown at f, and a small pivot projects from the inside of the lock-plate, as shown at t in fig. 7, so that when the lock-plate is secured in place the said pivot enters the small hole 1' in the retractor I, andwhcn thus connected, if the breech-block F be swung backward and downward, the lower end of the curve at f 'first strikes the lower end of the projection shown at the dotted line It, which starts the retractor swinging upon its pivot in the lock-plate, and then the upper part of. the curve at f of the breech-block strikes the upper part. of the projection is near thepivot, which gives the retractor an accelerated movement, the horn or projection 4/ moving backward to extract the shell from the barrel.

That part of the lock-plate immediately around the pivot h is recessed to the same depth as the part B, or to a sufiicient depth to leave a bearing below said pivot at b',--and the trigger has an inner projection, H, thereon, which enters the recessed part around the pivot h, and the lower part of said projection is made circular or cylindrical, to fit the bearing 1) at the bottom of the recessed part h, so that, by this con-- struction, should the pivot 71, upon which the trigger.

operates, become broken by accident, the trigger would still continue to perform its proper function by operatiug upon the bearing 1)".

The trigger has also another vertical projection, It, shown in figs. 1, 4, and 5, and the lower end of the hammer E is elongated, as shown at a, so that when the hammer is thrown back, as at full cock, said projectiou it strikes against said vertical projection anpou the trigger, forcing the rear part of the trigger downward and the upper part of the trigger ba'ckward,-locking the hammer at full cock, and releasing the breechblock so that it may be thrown back.

The small spring "u, secured to the lock-frame and pressing upon the trigger, is intended to cause the trigger to perform its proper functions in' this respect; but if the said spring should become broken, the arrangements of the projections a and a are intended to supply the place of said spring. I

In fig. 3 is shown a devicc'for preventing any premature discharge of the arm, and consists ofasafetybutton, m, secured to the upper part of thehammer by a pivot, g, upon which the button turns.

When carrying the gun, and to prevent the hammer from striking the end of the firing-pin, which protrndes slightly through the rear ,of the breech-block, the button m is set with the small end a: parallel with the striking face of the hammer.

Whenset in this way, if the hammer is let forward even with its full force, the small end a: of the button will strike the rear end of thebreeoh-block, and the hammer,not touching the firing-pin, the cartridgewill not be exploded.

It, when in this position, the hammer be brought back to a full cook, the arm 2; strikes npon'the top of the lock-frame or stock, and the button is turned into the position shown in clotted lines in fig. 3,-and bypulling the trigger the hammer falls, striking the firing-pin, and with the button m in the position show in black lines in fig. 3. v

The lock-plate is recessed slightly at s, to permit the free movement of the retractor I, and at s, to perwit the samefree movement of the breech-block.

Iain aware that abreech-loading fire-arm, constructed very similarly, in some respects, to that herein shown and described, has been made, heretofore,'and

for which Letters Patent of the United States were granted to H. W. Ohamberlin andmyself, dated Jan nary 8, 1867, and numbered 50,998, and upon which I'intend this as an improvement.

' Having, therefore, thusdescribed myinvention, 1 What I'claim as. new} and desire'to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The retractor I, movingupon the pivot 1'," and having the projection k thereon, and operated by means of the curved paitfof the breech-block, all constructed substantially as described.

2.'The projection H upon the trigger, operating 'within the recess h and upon the bearing b',substan- MARTIN J. GHAMBERLIH.

\Vitnesses:

'I. A.-OURT1s, CLARENCE BUGKLAND. 

